I've liked the space this restaurant is in since I moved to Fresno. It's right on Olive and the entire front has enormous windows. I like sitting at a table close to a window watching the traffic and people move by--makes me feel like I live in a big city.

I also like the food. The green curry is one of my favorite dishes there. I usually order it with tofu, but last night, Bo chose to order a version with chicken. It was still smooth and creamy with the lovely bites of eggplant, green beans and red pepper.

Toni ordered a dish with glass noodles, chicken, shrimp, and bean sprouts. I think she hoped it would be spicier than it was, although she still enjoyed it.

I decided to try something new to me: Chu Chee Salmon with curry and vegetables.

The salmon was melt-in-your-mouth tender (I thought it was going to be broiled, so this was unexpected), but the curry was creamy and the veggies were nicely cooked. I love the coconut milk that Million Elephant uses--I've loved every curry I've ever ordered there. And the majority of their dishes include healthy portions of vegetables--always a plus for me!

After dinner, we walked down Olive, looking into store windows. As dusk fell, we sat outside eating a bowl of ice cream at Scoop's. After so many days of blistering hot weather, the cool(er) air and the slight breeze made being outside actually comfortable. It was a nice evening.

The restaurant has delicious spring rolls and pho, but the dish I most enjoyed was pad pak which I always ordered with tofu.

I loved the combination of vegetables: baby corn, pea pods, broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts, and mushrooms. I also loved the dark, slightly sweet sauce and the fried tofu. Most of all, I loved that there were so many vegetables, I never felt I needed rice to go with the dish. I'd eat what I could, savoring each bite as I reviewed work for class or just enjoyed an hour of freedom. It helped that my class was wonderful, one of the best graduate classes I've ever taught. Going to class was fun, not at all stressful, because the students were smart, insightful, and always ready to discuss. When the semester was over, I missed my Monday night ritual.

A few days ago, I returned to Jasmine Garden with the teachers involved in the San Joaquin Valley Writing Project's Summer Institute 2008. We have a social each week, and this week we decided to have a long lunch at Jasmine Garden. 17 of us were seated at a long table and there was animated discussion from every section.

I've blogged about this at The Icing, but I love this group of people. I spent an hour or two yesterday morning reading some of the writing they've produced so far and was again struck by what generous and kind human beings they are. Their writing moved me to think about connections and interdependence . . . which led to a blog post that crystalizes my most recent explorations/reflections.

So far, Jasmine Garden holds only good memories and associations for me. Delicious food, stimulating conversation, food for thought.

Just needed to complete the circle, by linking to his post which links to mine . . . .

We swam for awhile which gave me the opportunity to talk with Pam and Toni while the kids splashed around. I miss the days in Arizona when a pool was just outside my front door, so it was really relaxing and so pleasant to laze into the evening in the cool, cool water.

We also ate, of course. Everyone contributed something. I brought guacamole and a green salad. Toni brought cole slaw. Pam and Tim brought a pasta salad. Samina had chips and salsa, brownies, and drinks. Alex roasted corn and also grilled some veggie burgers and dogs. And Madhu and Kaberi brought . . . . vadas!

Madhu made vada pav, Indian street food made of potato and curry. A couple of months back, my friends and I tried vadas at Brahma Bull; that version was made of chick peas. Madhu's was much more delicious and he brought really interesting chutneys to heighten the flavor, one mint chutney and another incredibly spicy peanut-garlic chutney.

This was delicious food--the chutneys provided an explosion of flavor in contrast to the vada's creamy texture. I loved that the vadas echoed the traditional fourth of July fare (hamburgers), which is, I think, why Madhu decided to make them for Samina's vegetarian household. Here is Madhu enjoying the fruits of his culinary skill.

Kaberi gave me some of the peanut-garlic chutney, suggesting that I mix it with yogurt to make a nice, spicy sauce. And Madhu wrote out the recipe so that I could include it here on Savory Morsels. We all enjoyed our "cosmopolitan" (to quote Samina) fourth of July.

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Madhu's Peanut Garlic Chutney

1 c. peanuts (spanish ones are best)
1/2 c. sesame seeds (white)
1/2 c. coconut flakes, dried
4-6 cloves of garlic
5-10 dry red chiles
2 t. paprika
(the previous two ingredients could be replaced with red chili powder, if necessary)
1 t. cumin seeds
1 t. salt

Roast peanuts, sesame seeds, garlic, cumin, coconut while stirring constantly until they are all evenly browned. Put them all in with other ingredients into a food processor/grinder and grind to powder.

Texture and taste can vary.

Frankly, it's probably not worth blogging about. Although I grew up thinking that fish sticks with ketchup was what eating fish was all about, I did eventually try and fall in love with "real" fish. When I lived in Portugal, I tried everything and liked a lot of it. And I've loved fish ever since.

However, it's rare that I cook fish at home. I've mastered the salmon in foil technique, and I'm sure that at some point I've prepared fish in other ways as well. But something has held me back from cooking fish at home on a regular basis.

Recently, I went to Whole Foods and bought a tilapia fillet. I decided that I wanted to bread it and fry it--the classic way of cooking fish, but something I don't remember ever having done. I whisked an egg with a little bit of water, dipped the fish in the egg, then dipped it in bread crumbs with a little bit of salt and pepper. Then I fried it for about 5 minutes on each side.

I served the fish with a yogurt and shredded cucumber sauce with a few spices: salt, pepper, cayenne, and a touch of chili powder. I also squeezed lemon on top of the fish.

I loved this way of preparing and eating fish. It was easy and really tasty. Why has it taken me so long to figure this out?

We started off with the plain dough topped with a little olive oil to which we added gruyere, sliced tomato, crushed garlic, and chopped rosemary (from my garden). Of the three pizzas, this was both the most visually appealing and the most delicious. Of course, it's really a variation of one of my favorite breakfasts: a toasted everything bagel with gruyere and a slice of tomato. Now I know to add garlic and rosemary to the mix (I'm really going to try this for breakfast!). In any event, the flavors were subtle but also complex. I knew we were going to have difficulty creating a better pizza.

Our next invention was the full size crust with marinara to which we added mozzarella, sliced green olives, garlic, and red onion. We had planned to add basil to this one, as well, but forgot. This was a really juicy pizza and a little messy to eat, but it was really tasty. I especially enjoyed the combination of mozzarella and the green olives (which were high quality olives from the olive bar at Whole Foods). I actually had a hard time deciding which of our first two pizzas I liked the most, although I ultimately decided that this was a close second to our gruyere wonder.

For our last pizza, we made the tried and true goat cheese and roasted red pepper. I'd roasted the red pepper ahead of time (and found one lonely seed inside). This was the least successful pizza, but then how could it live up to the first two? I did like that the crust was thinner--I prefer thin crusts but my recipe keeps giving me big fluffy crust. I've got to figure out why (is it the wrong recipe, my lack of a rolling pin, or the yeast I'm using?). In any event, it was a fine pizza, just nothing memorable.

For dessert, I'd picked peaches from my tree in the backyard, blanched them to remove the skins, and prepared a crumble to go on top. I was disappointed with this recipe (so I won't include it). Although the Johns claimed to enjoy it, I thought the peaches needed to be sweetened and the crumble was just okay. I'll have more opportunities to find a peach recipe that I love.

The whole evening was so much fun. We had a great time designing pizza and sharing our reviews of each one. I also really enjoyed the game portion of the night, even though John B. won every game we played. He beat us at one game of Scrabble and two of Clue. I usually hate to lose at board games, but I was having such a good time that I didn't mind. It was just so nice to share a night with two people that I really care about. The Johns have been part of my life for 8 years, and I feel incredibly lucky to have them as friends.

Here's John's winning Scrabble board. I want a rematch . . . and an excuse to eat together again!

By the way, this morning we tried the chayote greens at Samina and Alex's. YUM! Alex grilled them and they were really really interesting. The texture was a little rough in a really good way, and I actually thought there was a nutty quality to the flavor. I think I'll try sauteing them as well.

This whole food blog thing has been a big surprise to me--since it indicates a shift in my relationship to food. I'm discovering that eating isn't just about the actual act of chewing and swallowing food, it's also about the preparation--including the origin of the recipe, shopping for ingredients (or growing and harvesting them), and the actual act of cooking. All of these elements can be tactile, pleasurable, and communal.

Tonight my friends John B. and John J. are coming over to play Scrabble. I decided to make them dinner as well, pizza, salad, and peach pie (or cobbler, I haven't decided yet). I plan to make the crust, sauce, and peach dish before they get here. But together we'll decide what to put on the pizza. I have a few ideas: sliced tomato, red onion, green olives, sun dried tomato, red pepper (roasted?), green pepper, garlic, basil, broccoli and (of course) cheese.

This morning I went to the Farmer's Market and was wowed by a new vegetable. Do you know what this is?

Tomatoes, red pepper and . . . chayote greens. They were just so beautiful, I had to buy some. I think I'll saute them tonight for an unusual side. I wonder what they'll taste like.

I also went out back and picked some peaches from my tree. Some of them are a little small, but aren't they lovely?

I know, I know. You're used to seeing pictures of already prepared food. I hope I'll be able to share some of those tomorrow. But for now, I just wanted to enjoy the anticipation of turning these ingredients into something delicious. At least, I hope that's what we'll end up with.

Since I have a party to go to tonight, I didn't want anything terribly heavy. As a result, I wouldn't even let myself look at any part of the menu except the salad section. I've been going through a blue cheese kick lately (thanks to a delicious chicken kebab salad with blue cheese dressing I ate at George's downtown), so as soon as I saw blue cheese, I knew that was the salad for me. The rest of the components of the salad included red onion, apple, tomato, bacon, grilled chicken, cracked pepper, and . . . a wedge of iceberg lettuce.

The blue cheese was really pungent (not as mellow as the versions I've been eating lately), the chicken was nicely grilled, and the dressing was creamy. At the end of the meal, I felt satisfied rather than full. I don't think I'll ever crave this salad, but it made for a fine lunch on its strange, see-through plate. Now I'll be able to eat whatever I want tonight at the party.

During the afternoon, I went to Whole Foods to buy small bags of the spices I would need, some spinach, and a chile (very cool that one can buy any amount of spice at Whole Foods). In between bouts reading a student's thesis, I prepared lentils, raita, and finally saag and chicken.

I love the smell of cardamom and enjoyed the process of putting it in my mortal and pestle in order to get at the seeds inside. I thought about a scene in Audre Lorde's Zami: A New Spelling of My Name which inspired me to buy a mortal and pestle because of its sensuality. And, in fact, there is something very appealing about kneading the pod with the pestle. The crunch of the pods, the aroma of cardamom wafting up, and the emergence of the small seeds.

It was a low stress cooking experience with a great payoff. My lentils tasted exactly like Sam's, but my raita was more spicy and the saag more fragrant with garam masala (Sam had to make do with her own combination of spices since I didn't have garam masala in my pantry).

The chicken dish was delicious and so easy to make. I loved cooking the spices and combining it with the small pieces of chicken. I also loved the yellow color and the peppery taste. By the way, since I was making raita I didn't add yogurt to my chicken. Next time, I definitely will. I wonder if this would work using tofu instead of chicken? Maybe without the yogurt.

Lori was impressed and we had a nice evening getting caught up. I need to cook more often.

* * * * * *

South Indian Pepper Chicken (from Fresh Indian by Sunil Vijayakar)

1 T. sunflower oil (I used canola)
1 bay leaf
4 cloves
1/2 t. crushed cardamom seeds
2 t. crushed black peppercorns
1 t. finely grated fresh ginger root
2 t. finely grated garlic
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 c. water or chicken stock
1/2 t. turmeric
1 1/2 c. low-fat plain yogurt
salt

Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan and when hot add the bay leaf, cloves, crushed cardamom seeds, and peppercorns. Stif-fry for 30 seconds, then add the ginger, garlic, and the chicken. Stir fry over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes before adding the water or stock and the turmeric. Season. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Remove from heat, drizzle with the yogurt so that it is partially stirred in and serve.

Last night, I returned to Max's and wondered why I'd ever given it up. The bistro environment with dark colors and crisp white tablecloths is so welcoming, and the food was, as always, delicious.

Our waitress brought us a complimentary crostini topped with cheese and strawberries. Since I am still in savory mode, I wasn't terribly crazy about a sweeter appetizer. She also brought us bread and olive oil which I uncharacteristically ignored. Why? Because Toni had a coupon for free sweet potato fries . . . which were so beautiful both to look at and eat.

The fries were crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside. I love the white, salty crust that forms on the fries. And I adored the jalapeno arugula aioli which was served with the fries: a little spicy, a little creamy, and oh-so-good. If there were a Fries and Chips Anonymous, I would have to join--I love fries and chips in almost any incarnation. Although I practiced some restraint last night, typically, my ability to control my intake disappears around fries. I have to eat them until they are gone, no matter how full I am. How could anyone resist these beautiful fries?

I ordered one of the specials for the night: halibut with a vegetable potsticker. I was definitely in the mood for fish, but I didn't want salmon and Toni ordered the swordfish--so halibut was the last fish dish available.

I liked the peppery crust on the top of the fish and the delicious hoisin-soy sauce on top, but halibut isn't the most interesting fish. Without the sauce, this would have been a very bland dish. I enjoyed the potsticker with its surprising filling of pea pods and scallions. However, I only had a bite or two of the noodles since I'd eaten the sweet potato fries at the beginning of the meal.

Toni's poached swordfish was quite tasty with its more meaty, substantive texture. It was seasoned with thyme and served with asparagus, roasted fingerling potatoes, and a lemon caper aioli.

Both of these dishes were presented well and prepared with care. I do wish that Max's had more vegetarian dishes and was a little more experimental in combining flavors. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my meal, the ambience, and the impeccable service.

I enjoyed the taco de papa; the appealing softness of the crema was accentuated by the mild green salsa I added. However, the relleno was really disappointing--the cheese had a strange, too airy texture that I really don't want to experience again. It almost felt like it dissolved once it was in my mouth. I wanted light, but not that type of light.

My fish taco was large, packed with big chunks of grilled fish, lettuce, tomato, some kind of creamy sauce, and cheese. I squeezed the lime on top and really savored each bite.

I had such good memories of the ceviche at the Frontera Grill in Chicago that I decided to try the ceviche tostada. But it was very disappointing.

The fish was tough rather than tender and the onion wasn't sweet enough, thus overpowering the taste of the fish. I kept trying it--hoping that I would change my mind--but about a third of the way through, I had to abandon the dish. It just wasn't very good.

Sam had the mole, big chunks of pork slathered with a dark sauce. I also ordered a side of beans and the melon horchata. The beans were smooth and creamy, and I enjoyed the pecans and chunks of melon in the horchata.

Still, I left the restaurant wishing that I had stuck to the chile relleno. I guess I have to return to the Oaxaca . . .

I love that we're all independent but that we try to be there for each other when it matters. I don't talk on the phone with any of them very often, but I know that they care about me in all the best ways. I think originally I was the one who brought us all together--but over the last year or so, their friendships with each other have also grown richer.

Wednesday night, we all went to dinner together. Bo will be leaving for China soon, Toni's going to Corsica and France for a couple of weeks, Samina will be going to Boston. We wanted to get together before we all take off in different directions even though we'll all be in Fresno during July. We hope to have a writing group this summer, and I know there will be other evenings out. Still, it was really nice to celebrate the end of the school year and the onset of summer.

We went to my favorite Indian restaurant in Fresno, Brahma Bull (at 3050 W Shaw Ave # 108). We started our meal with papadam, served with two different kinds of chutneys mixed together, one spicy, the other quite mild. I love food that allows me to eat with my hands--I broke the papadam into smaller pieces (didn't want to double dip) and got a nice dollop of the chutney mixture on it.

We also tried the vadas, deep fried lentil cakes that were more crunchy than I expected.

Next, we were served a savory bowl of sambar, a vegetable soup that was absolutely perfect with its hearty broth and satisfying bits of vegetable. Finally, the rest of our dishes arrived: malai kofta (vegetable balls in a creamy tomato sauce), naan, dal, a vegetable curry dosa, chicken curry and raita.

Here's my plate.

I think the kofta was better at India's Oven and the chicken curry was just okay (I'm eating a lot of vegetarian food lately), but I really loved everything else. The dosa was quite tasty with its subtle mix of curry and wrapper. The lentils were hearty and thick. And the raita just makes everything taste better, especially the spicy dishes. I used the naan to eat the more runny items, dipping and sopping to my heart's content.

We lingered over the meal, staying until we thought the restaurant was ready to close down and chatting about everything under the sun. These women are such good friends. I will really miss them next year--although I'm encouraging them to get Skype and to email me frequently. Their friendship enriches my life, helps me to feel grounded, comforts me when life is hard.

Here is a picture of Red Lentils Hyderabadi and Gujarati Cucumber Raita. Both were so tasty, and I was so impressed that Sam whipped up raita, a dish I've never made. She even toasted the spices, so it was the real deal. I didn't realize this, but the lentils turn yellow when you cook them. Since I'd been sick all day, this dish really hit the spot.

Bo brought a dish, as well, her glass noodles with vegetables were oh so tasty. I liked the fried tofu this dish included--and I loved all the beautiful vegetables Bo threw in, as well. Sam's other dish, Saag, was made of fresh spinach and tomato. This dish was also really delicious--and I felt quite virtuous eating the spinach. I really love saag and am glad to know it's so easy to make.

So nice to have a home cooked dinner that was so satisfying. Thanks Sam and Bo for sharing your culinary skills!

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Recipes (all from Jaffrey)

Masoor Dal Hyderabadi (Red Lentils Hyderabadi)

1 c. red lentils (masoor dal) cooked (in 4 c. water, with 1/4 t. ground turmeric and 1 to 1 1/4 t. salt for 40-50 minutes)
2 T. canola oil
1/2 t. whole brown mustard seeds
1 to 2 whole dried hot red chiles
8 to 10 fresh curry leaves
3 garlic cloves, peeled
a few squeezes of fresh lime juice.

Heat the red lentils and keep over a low flame.

Put the oil in a small frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard seeds. As soon as they pop, a matter of seconds, put in the red chiles. Stir them once and quickly put in the curry leaves. Stir once and put in the garlic cloves. Turn the heat to medium and lightly brown the garlic on all sides. Now pour the contents of the pot, oil and seasonings, over the cooked lentils. Squeeze lime juice over the top, stir, and serve.

Saag (Spinach with Tomato)

1/4 c. canola oil
1 to 2 hot fresh green chiles, very finely chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and very finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped
1 ripe tomato (4 ounces), peeled after dropping into boiling water for 15 seconds, and then peeled and finely chopped
3 pounds spinach, cut crosswise into very fine strips
1 t. salt
1 t. garam masala

Put the oil in a large, wide pot and set over medium-high heat. When very hot, put in the chile, onions, and garlic. Stir and fry until the onions turn medium brown. Add the tomato. Stir and fry for 2 minutes. Now put in the spinach and salt. Cover, allowing the spinach to wilt. Stir, turn the heat to medium, cover again and cook for 25 minutes. Uncover, add the garam masala, and stir. Cook, uncovered, another 5 to 6 minutes, or until almost no liquid is left at the bottom of the pan. Turn up the heat during this period, if necessary.

Kheera Raita (Gujarati Cucumber Raita)

1 c. plain yogurt
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. sugar
1/8 t. cayenne
1 medium cucumber (about 5 inches), peeled and grated
1 T. canola oil
1/2 t. whole brown mustard seeds
1/4 t. whole cumin seeds

Put the yogurt in a bowl and beat lightly with a fork. Add the salt, sugar, and cayenne and mix. Add the cucumber and mix again.

Put the oil in a small frying pan and set over medium-high heat. When hot, put in the mustard and cumin seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop, a matter of seconds, pour the contents of the frying pan over the yogurt. Stir to mix. Serve chilled.